Lighter winds Monday helped crews in South Carolina and North Carolina battle wildfires that caused evacuations and threatened hundreds of homes over the weekend. It was the biggest fire in the area since a 2009 wildfire nearby did $42 million in damage and destroyed about 75 homes. South Carolina Governor declared a state of emergency on Sunday to support wildfire response efforts, while a statewide burn ban remained in effect.
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Trump under fire for dancing video
Amid the crisis, Trump was reported to be enjoying himself at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. He was spotted dancing on top of a table alongside ‘special government employee’ Elon Musk. Some reports also suggest the President was spotted golfing at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday.
In no time, the video quickly went viral on X, formerly known as Twitter, attracting millions of views and criticism for the president’s apparent lack of concern for the ongoing wildfires, according to Express US News.
One person juxtaposed videos of the fires with the comment: “South Carolina is burning and Donald Trump is golfing.”ALSO READ: ‘Can someone tell his makeup routine?’: JD Vance’s ‘eyeliner’ steals the spotlight during interviewOne X user criticized: “While SC burns, Trump’s golfing again, just like his ‘bomb the hurricanes’ and ‘rake the forests’ genius. No plan, no leadership, just chaos. FEMA’s stretched thin, and his admin’s a disaster. Time for real accountability, not MAGA excuses.”
Public servant and political strategist Chris D. Jackson took to the platform to say: “Where’s FEMA? Where’s the Trump Administration? Myrtle Beach is burning, hundreds of acres in South Carolina are up in flames — and Trump is golfing. Maybe he’ll ask them to ‘turn the water on’ again? Get to work!”
“I imagine firing 200 FEMA administration staff isn’t going to help this terrible situation. My heart aches for the devastation,” another user wrote.
However one X user claimed the attention shouldn’t be on the president but on the governors. They argued: “Or blame the Governor & others.”
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“Why don’t they just turn the water on and let it run south? I was told that’s how water works,” another person joked, referring to Trump’s response to the recent wildfires in California.
While the president has not publicly said anything about the ongoing wildfires in South Carolina, he ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to release billions of gallons of water from two reservoirs in California’s Central Valley when Los Angeles was hit by devastating fires earlier this year. The valley is more than 100 miles from the fire zones.
Trump later went on to claim that California withheld water supplies that could have helped fight the flames. However, several officials, including the California Governor Gavin Newsom, were quick to dispute these claims.
South Carolina wildfires
Over the weekend (March 1-2), more than 175 fires were reported in South Carolina, including one near Carolina Forest that spread over more than 1600 acres – forcing thousands of people to evacuate. The state’s governor, Henry McMaster, declared a state of emergency “to further support wildfire response efforts across the state” and ensure first responders “continue to have the resources they need” as the fires cause widespread destruction.
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On Saturday, the South Carolina Forestry Commission issued a State Forester’s Burning Ban for all counties, prohibiting all outdoor burning, from yard waste to campfires. Residents are urged to stay informed through official emergency sources and dial 911 to report any immediate threats.
The North Carolina Forest Service reported more than 200 wildfires across the state Monday, although almost all of them were small and not threatening any structures. Officials across the Carolinas warned of poor air quality because of smoke.
